Outboard motor clamp screw lock

ABSTRACT

This is a device for locking an outboard motor on the transom of a boat so as to make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a thief to steal the outboard motor from the boat transom. Outboard motors are usually mounted on the boat transom by having a pair of spaced apart C-clamps secured over the transom. With this device, an elongated housing consisting of a tough metal strong box, partly open in its real wall, is hung over the clamping screw handles, the handles having alignable transverse apertures therethrough, and a tough metal bolt is extended through apertures in the confronting and side walls of the strong box and through the aligned apertures in the clamp screw handle ends. A tough metal lock nut is threaded on at least one end of the bolt, a key being needed and used to unlock the nut before it can be unthreaded. The nut is of the same type that is used for locking demountable automobile wheels on their hubs to prevent theft thereof. The tough metal of the bolt and nut, and also the strong box, is such as is used in the metal walls of a safe or vault. To increase the security, the bolt head and the lock nut may also be countersunk within a guard ring extending externally of the confronting end walls or, for maximum security, a guard thimble is countersunk with the confronting end walls, thus making it impossible to get access thereto with a bolt cutter or hacksaw or other burgler tool.

United States Patent [191 Mullis, Jr.

[ 1 Sept. 11, 1973 1 OUTBOARD MOTOR CLAMP SCREW LOCK Carson Mullis, Jr.,2071 SW 68th Way, Miramar, Fla. 33023 1221 Filed: Apr. 28, 1972 21 Appl.No.: 248,435

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 70/232, 70/14, 70/58, 70/211,137/383 [51] Int. Cl. G05b73/00, G05g 5/00, F16b 41/00 [58] Field of Search 70/14, 58, 198, 199,70/200, 211, 230, 232, 229; 137/383 10/1970 Mauro 70/230 UX PrimaryExaminer-Marvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Richard P. TremblayAtt0rneyGustave Miller [57] ABSTRACT This is a device for locking anoutboard motor on the transom of a boat so as to make it extremelydifficult,

if not impossible, for a thief to steal the outboard motor from the boattransom. Outboard motors are usually mounted on the boat transom byhaving a pair of spaced apart C-clamps secured over the transom. Withthis device, an elongated housing consisting of a tough metal strongbox, partly open in its real wall, is hung over the clamping screwhandles, the handles having alignable transverse apertures therethrough,and a tough metal bolt is extended through apertures in the confrontingand side walls of the strong box and through the aligned apertures inthe clamp screw handle ends. A tough metal lock nut is threaded on atleast one end of the bolt, a key being needed and used to unlock the nutbefore it can be unthreaded. The nut is of the same type that is usedfor locking demountable automobile wheels on their hubs to prevent theftthereof. The tough metal of the bolt and nut, and also the strong box,is such as is used in the metal walls of a safe or vault. To increasethe security, the bolt head and the lock nut may also be countersunkwithin a guard ring extending externally of the confronting end wallsor, for maximum security, a guard thimble is countersunk withthe'confronting end walls, thus making it impossible to get access theretowith a bolt cutter or hacksaw or other burgler tool.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures OUTBOARD MOTOR CLAMP SCREW LOCK BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION Outboard motors are usually secured to the transom ofthe boat by C-shaped clamps, and the clamp screws are rotatable byhandles pivoted thereto about an axis perpendicular to the rotationalaxis of the clamp scress, the handles having alignable apertures attheir other ends. Various means have been provided for locking the clampscrew handles, such as a bolt through the handles and a padlock throughthe bolt end, as in U. S. Pat. No. 2,677,264, or similar devices such asillustrated in U. S. Pat. Nos. 1,741,205; 2,479,300; and 2,703,501. Allthese devices have one element in common, a padlock, which can be easilyand quickly cut by a bolt cutter or hacksaw by the thief, with hardlyany delay in completing the theft.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide alocking means for the outboard motor clamp which does not use a padlockthat may be easily cut by a bolt cutter or hacksaw, but which uses atough metal wheel locking nut on the end ofa bolt of tough metal, andwherein the bolt may be further protected against access thereto by abolt cutter or hacksaw by being encased, with the clamp handles, in atough metal strong box. A further object of this invention is to providean outboard motor clamp which is substantially theft proof, or which, atworst, takes an extremely long time to overcome, much more time than athief would expect to have available in a public marina without arousingsuspicion.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tough metal bolt forlocking the clamp screw handle of the motor clamp and which resists theaction of a bolt cutter or hacksaw. Still a further object of thisinvention is to provide a locking means for an outboard motor clampwhich cannot be overcome by the use a bolt cutter or hacksaw or even bya sledge hammer.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a locking meansfor the clamp screws of an outboard motor which can be unlocked only byuse of the locking key provided for the lock.

Yet, a further object of this invention is to provide a tough metalstrong box housing for enclosing the handles of the mounting clamps ofthe outboard motor and for enclosing a tough metal bolt through thehandles, the bolt being locked by a lock nut, and the bolt head and thelock nut both being enclosed or countersunk on or in the housing againstaccess by a bolt cutter or hacksaw, the tough metal being such asstainless steel or casehardened steel or other similar material such asused in the wall of a safe or vault.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE. FIGURES FIG. 1 is a sectional view through thelocking means of this invention as applied to the clamp screws of anoutboard motor clamp.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the locking housing with countersinkguards on the outer end walls of the housing.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the bolt head end guard ring or thimblecountersunk within the end walls.

FIG. 4 is a partially sectional view of the opposite end of FIG. 3, withthe nut lock countersunk in a guard thimble or ring countersunk withinthe end wall of the guard box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION There is shown at 10 aconventional outboard motor of any conventional style provided with apair of conventional spaced apart C-clamps 12, each clamp 12 having itsconventional clamping screw 14 rotatably threaded against the boattransom 16 by its conventional handle 18 pivoted at 20 thereon at rightangles to the axis of rotation of the screw 14. Each handle 18- has itspivoted end 22 project somewhat above the handle pivot 20, and the otherend 24 of the handle 18 conventionally has an aperture 26 therethrough.Conventionally, a bolt may be placed through the apertures 26 with apadlock through the bolt end to lock the handles against rotation fortheft of the motor, as illustrated in above mentioned US. Pat. No.2,677,264, and prevents the motor from being too easily stolen,particularly by an amateur. However, a professional thief may use a boltcutter or hacksaw on either the bolt or the padlock, in a very fewseconds of time, and be only very slightly delayed in the theft.

With this invention, a bolt 28 is likewise used, but, instead of beingan ordinary bolt, it is made of a very tough metal, such as stainlesssteel or case-hardened steel, or of other similar materials such as usedin the walls of a safe or vault. The bolt head 30, instead of beingconventional, may be seven sided, as shown for cooperating with aspecial seven sided socket wrench, which may be provided with thisdevice. Instead of a padlock, an automobile wheel locking nut 32 isused. This nut can be opened only by a special key 34 before the nut maybe rotated in the unlocking direction. The lock nut will preferably alsobe of similar tough metal. This tough metal bolt and lock nut areprobably sufficient against the usual bolt cutter, but to enhance theprotection, a safe box or lock box 36 is used as a housing for the bolt28 and the clamp handles 18.

This strong box or housing 36 is made of similar tough metal, such asstainless steel or case-hardened steel, or of such metal as the walls ofsafes or vaults are usually made, and its walls may be made of suitablethickness to enhance its toughness. This housing 36 is an elongatedparallelepiped in shape. It has two ends walls38 and 40 connectedtogether by a solid front wall 42, an elongate bottom wall 44, andelongate top wall 46 and a back ledge 48, leaving an opening so that thebox 36 may hang over the top ends 22 of handles 18 and enclose thehandles 18 completely therewithin, and then the bolt 28 may be insertedthrough the end wall apertures and handle apertures 26. The nut 32 isthen threaded onto the threaded end 50 of bolt 28. As thus alreadydescribed, a great deal of security is provided to the motor, becausethe main part of the bolt is inaccessible to a bolt cutter, and neitherthe bolt head 30 or lock nut 32 can be readily actuated to release thebolt.

An additional step of security is provided by countersinking the bolthead 30 and nut 32 within a guard ring 52 secured about the boltapertures in the end walls 38 and 40.

In one form, shown in FIG. 2, the guard rings 52, of similar toughmetal, are secured to and external of the end walls 38 and 40, therebymaking the bolt head 30 and nut 32 completely inaccessible to a boltcutter or even a sledge hammer.

Maximum security is provided by mounting the guard rings or thimbles 54entirely within and on the inner sides of the end walls 38 and 40, asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this case, the guard rings or thimbles 54 arethus countersunk entirely within end walls 38 and 40 of the housing 36,making the bolt head 30 and nut 32 entirely inaccessible to any type ofjimmy, bolt cutter or hacksaw, and thus probably completely discouragingany would-be thief.

ABSTRACT OF THE DRAWING In the drawing, like numbers refer to likeparts, and for purposes of explication, marshalled below are thenumbered parts of the improved outboard motor clamp screw lock.

CONVENTIONAL FEATURES conventional outboard motor 12 motor mountingC-clamp l4 clamp screw 16 boat transom 18 pivoted clamp screw handles 20pivot of 18 on 14 22 handle end projecting beyond pivot 20 24 oppositeend of handle 26 apertures in handle ends 24 IMPROVEMENT FEATURES 28bolt of tough metal 30 head of bolt 28 32 wheel lock nut 34 key for locknut 32 36 housing or strong box of tough metal one end wall of 36 i 40other end wall 42 solid front wall 44 bottom wall 46 top wall 48 backwall ledge 50 threaded end of bolt 28 52 outwardly extending guard ringson end walls 38 and 40 54 inwardly extending guard rings or thimblescountersunk within the end walls 38 and 40.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined as claimed. Having thus set forth anddisclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed 1. Locking meansfor the spaced apart clamp screws (14) of an outboard motor (10) clampbracket (12) having handles (18) pivotally connected (20) each adjacentone end (22) to the outer end of an associated clamp screw (14) forpivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the rotational axis ofthe associated clamp screws (14) and each handle (18) having atransverly extending aperture (26) adjacent its other end; theimprovement comprising an elongated parallelepied strong box (36) oftough metal of a length somewhat longer than the distance between thehandles (18), of a height slightly greater than the length of thehandles (18), of a depth greater than the depth of the handles (18), itsback wall having an opening to admit the handles (18) therewithin whenin depending position, said back wall providing a ledge depending behindthe upper ends (22) of the handles 18) projecting above their pivotalconnections, the confronting end walls (38, 40) of said box (36) havingapertures aligning with the apertures (26) of said handles (18) whensaid handles are in depending position, and a tough metal bolt (28)extendible through said aligned apertures (26) and threaded on at leastone end to receive a lock nut thereon.

2. The means of protecting the metal boltand lock nut from bolt cutters,hacksaw and hammer a ring guard wherein ring guards (52,54) are securedon said confronting end walls (38,40) about said bolt apertures forcountersinking the bolt ends (30,50) therewithin, said bolt aperturesbeing of a diameter to receive the bolt (28) therethrough, but not topermit the lock nut to pass therethrough.

3. The locking means of claim 2, said ring guard (54) being countersunkwithin said confronting end walls.

4. The locking means of claim 2, said ring guard (52) extendingoutwardly from said confronting end walls (38, 40).

5. The locking means of claim 1, said tough metal being stainless steel.

6. The locking means of claim 1, said tough metal being case-hardenedsteel.

7. The locking means of claim 1, said tough metal being vault-wallmetal.

1. Locking means for the spaced apart clamp screws (14) of an outboardmotor (10) clamp bracket (12) having handles (18) pivotally connected(20) each adjacent one end (22) to the outer end of an associated clampscrew (14) for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to therotational axis of the associated clamp screws (14) and each handle (18)having a transverly extending aperture (26) adjacent its other end; theimprovement comprising an elongated parallelepied strong box (36) oftough metal of a length somewhat longer than the distance between thehandles (18), of a height slightly greater than the length of thehandles (18), of a depth greater than the depth of the handles (18), itsback wall having an opening to admit the handles (18) therewithin whenin depending position, said back wall providing a ledge depending behindthe upper ends (22) of the handles (18) projecting above their pivotalconnections, the confronting end walls (38, 40) of said box (36) havingapertures aligning with the apertures (26) of said handles (18) whensaid handles are in depending position, and a tough metal bolt (28)extendible through said aligned apertures (26) and threaded on at leastone end to receive a lock nut thereon.
 2. The means of protecting themetal boltand lock nut from bolt cutters, hacksaw and hammer a ringguard wherein ring guards (52, 54) are secured on said confronting endwalls (38,40) about said bolt apertures for countersinking the bolt ends(30,50) therewithin, said bolt apertures being of a diameter to receivethe bolt (28) therethrough, but not to permit the lock nut to passtherethrough.
 3. The locking means of claim 2, said ring guard (54)beinG countersunk within said confronting end walls.
 4. The lockingmeans of claim 2, said ring guard (52) extending outwardld from saidconfronting end walls (38, 40).
 5. The locking means of claim 1, saidtough metal being stainless steel.
 6. The locking means of claim 1, saidtough metal being case-hardened steel.
 7. The locking means of claim 1,said tough metal being vault-wall metal.